


RWBY Guard Dogs Week 2020

by Laure_Prime



Category: RWBY
Genre: Chapter 1 is pure fluff, Chapter 2 is pure fluff too, M/M, a bit of angst in chapter 3 but nothing too bad, it's still fluff all along, more tags to be added with every chapter, they're soft
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:55:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23086630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laure_Prime/pseuds/Laure_Prime
Relationships: Marrow Amin/Jaune Arc
Comments: 13
Kudos: 29





	1. Day 1: Firsts

During mission assignements this morning, Ren had decided to go on patrol with Vine at the last moment so Nora had asked Jaune to come with her to Mantle to replace him. It had been a while since he'd gone on a mission with her so he agreed, complaining teasingly about being her second choice. She'd responded by sticking her tongue out at him. Clover gave them the mission, telling them Marrow would be coming with them. Once they got to the airship that would fly them down to Mantle they saw Marrow was already there, waiting for them. Jaune felt his heart flutter at the sight. They'd been dating for some time now, and while they couldn't hide it from Ren and Nora, they were trying to keep it discreet for the time being.

The mission started when they landed, and things had been going well. They'd stopped a fight from breaking out and ushered people away before the negative emotions could attract any Grimm, and Marrow hadn't even needed to use his semblance. Jaune knew how much he hated using it on people outside of training. They started to leave, heading back to where the airship dropped them off, ready to go back to the Academy. Nora was happily skipping along in front of them. She turned back towards them, walking backwards when Marrow suddenly yipped in pain, coming to a hard stop. Jaune saw Nora's eyes harden as he turned towards Marrow.

A man who'd watched the almost-fight from the sidelines had walked up to them from behind and grabbed Marrow's tail, pulling on it hard. He apparently didn't care for the Ace Ops uniform as he drawled out. "Hey, doggy." He hadn't let go of Marrow, who was stock-still in hopes not to have his tail yanked again.

Nora was already on the man, gripping his wrist and twisting hard to make him loosen his hold, allowing Jaune to gently tug Marrow towards him. "You okay ?" She asked Marrow, turning towards him.

"I'm fine. Let's just head back." He started walking away, trying to act collected. "Come on, let's go."

Nora looked at Jaune, a grim look in her eyes. "Go with him. I'll take care of this guy."

"Just don't kill him. Don't want you to get in too much trouble." Jaune nodded at her and followed Marrow.

"What ? It's a crime to tug on a pet's tail now ?" The man taunted. He must have noticed Marrow's shoulders curling in because he scoffed before he kept going. "That mutt had it coming. Honestly he should just -" He was cut off by a sharp yell of pain as Nora twisted his arm even harder.

Jaune started walking faster, urging Marrow along. He kept as close to him as he could without touching him. They kept silent till the airship took off, Jaune sending a message to let Ren know Nora was staying behind. Ren replied quickly, telling him he was coming back from his own mission and would pick her up on the way. Jaune couldn't help but be glad that his quiet teammate didn't ask for more information. He pocketed his scroll and turned towards Marrow, who was silently staring at the floor. "Marrow, are you -"

"Don't." Marrow cut him off. "Just... don't."

Jaune sighed but didn't say anything, respecting Marrow's wish. He'll need to get them somewhere private before trying to get him to talk. The ship landed and Jaune grabbed Marrow's hand and made a beeline for the dorms, tugging him in JNOR's room. He puts Fetch and Crocea Mors down by the door before sitting them down on his bunk. He takes Marrow's hands in his and tries to make eye contact. " _Hey_. How are you feeling ? You don't have to look strong. It's just me and you." He smiles softly as his boyfriend finally looks at him.

"It's okay, I'll be fine. It's not the first time this happens. And it's probably not the last either. I'll get over it."

Jaune feels outraged at Marrow's words. "But you shouldn't _have_ to. That man is despicable and it's _not okay_. Don't brush off something that made you upset. I'm here for you."

Marrow blinks back tears. "I know you're here for me. That's why I'll be okay. I know it's not okay. But growing up, you kind of get used to it." He takes his hands out of Jaune's gentle grasp, pulling at the straps of his chest plate. Jaune catches on fast and together they make quick work of Jaune's armor. Two pairs of boots get kicked off before Marrow pushes him backwards. Jaune leans back against the pile of pillows -seriously where did Nora find so many- as Marrow crawls to lie on top of him. They cuddle in comfortable silence for a while. Jaune won't force Marrow to talk, just happy to be there for him. He's surprised when Marrow starts talking again.

"My tail... People who touch it only do so to hurt me. Only my parents ever touched it to reassure me or make me calm down and relax. That's why I'm used to this. Except for my mom and dad, I've never had anyone I trust enough to touch my tail without hurting me."

Jaune takes some time to think about what he just said. Marrow is opening up to him and he doesn't want to say something wrong. "I'm sorry. I wish I could have helped you sooner. But I'm here now, and I'm not leaving you. I promise I will never hurt you like that."

Marrow starts drawing patterns on his chest with the tip of his finger. "I know you won't. You're different."

Jaune has always been mindful of Marrow's tail, tried not to touch it, not knowing what was okay and not wanting to upset him. But he wants to show Marrow that he can trust him. That Jaune will do everyting he can to make him feel better. "Would you let me.... Can I touch it ? I'll be careful, I promise. And if you change your mind I'll stop immediately."

Marrow tenses up. The idea of letting Jaune touch his tail hadn't even crossed his mind yet. Does he want Jaune to do it ? It's been so long he doesn't even remember the feeling of a loved one touching his tail. "I- Okay, yeah. You can."

"Thank you." Jaune keeps his left arm around Marrow, the other hand slowly moving down to his tail. The first few strokes are feather-light, the tips of his fingers barely touching his tail. Jaune keeps watching Marrow for his reaction. He shows no sign of discomfort so Jaune starts stroking properly, softly carding his fingers through the silk-like strands.

Marrow starts to relax as he realizes Jaune's gentle touch doesn't hurt. It actually feels really good and he shivers at the relaxing and soothing sensation. He didn't realize how much he'd missed this, overwhelmed by his tail's sensitivity. He gives a soft groan as Jaune runs his fingers through the thick, long fur.

Jaune feels Marrow's full body shiver, watching as his boyfriend relaxes against him. He hurriedly pulls his hand back when he hears Marrow's groan. "Are you okay ? Did I hurt you ?"

Marrow whines as the gentle caress stops. "No, it doesn't hurt. It feels great, actually. Please don't stop." Marrow keens softly as Jaune starts petting his tail again.

Jaune watches fondly as his boyfriend _melts_ against him. He's glad Marrow trusts him enough to do this. And delighted to see how much he likes it, how much it affects him.

Marrow really didn't expect to feel this good by simply having Jaune stroke his tail, but he wasn't complaining. He's just putty under Jaune's gentle touch, a pleasant buzz deep in his skin.

Jaune buries his nose in Marrow's soft hair, heart fluttering as he keeps the gentle and intimate motions.

And if they end up falling asleep just like that, with Marrow snuggled on his chest, Jaune's arms wrapped around him, well, who's to tell.

(Nora is).


	2. Day 2: Coffee

Jaune yawns as he waits for the water to boil, rubbing his eye. It was far too early to be up. But he was a professional Hunstman now, and waking up at the ass crack of dawn came with the job. His heart makes a flip in his chest. That's right. He's a Huntsman now. After everything they went through, they made it. He cracks a smile at the thought. He hears a beep and reaches out to take the cup. He might not make it through the mission assignment briefing without a kick of caffeine. He walks in the room and notices he's one of the last ones in. He sits down next to the Ace Op he remembers being told is Marrow. He sees movements from the corner of his eyes as he raises the steaming mug to take a sip of the hot liquid. He looks down at a wagging tail and looks up at its owner. He's met with the most adorable puppy dog eyes he's ever seen. He's used to Ruby and Nora's but he finds himself start to give in. _No, be strong. You're Jaune Arc and you're a Huntsman. You will not be defeated by puppy dog eyes_.

"Sure, take it." He hands over the cup as the other gives him a grateful but slightly self-satisfied smile. _Wow Jaune. What incredible willpower_.

\------------------------------------------

The briefing over, Jaune walks out, slowing down as he hears Clover call out to him. The Ace Op catches up to him quickly. "Is there a problem ?"

"No, I just wanted to talk to you about something I noticed earlier. But, well, it might become a problem if you're not careful."

"I... really don't know what you're talking about." He scratches his head.

"Marrow is a coffee thief. You gave him yours. I get it. The eyes are very hard to ignore. Even Vine fell for them in the beginning. But if you can't keep strong and say no in the next three times this happens, it's over. He'll get yours everyday. If you can't deny him, the only way to make it stop is either drink your coffee before or not get any at all."

"I – what ? It can't possibly work everytime. I'll be fine !" He perks up confidently.

Clover only looks at him with a doubtful look on his face. "Good luck then."

\----------------------------------------

The following day Jaune is prepared. He brings his coffee and takes a seat. He's a bit early today, hoping he'd have the time to drink it before Marrow got there. Unfortunately for him, said man walks in less than a minute after him and takes the same seat than yesterday, next to him. He looks from the corner of his eye as Marrow tries to occupy himself on his scroll. It doesn't work and he ends up looking at Jaune. _Be ready_. The tail starts wagging. Jaune makes the mistake of looking at Marrow and _those eyes_.

A few minutes later the others start trickling in. Nora walks past him to sit on his other side. "Didn't you say you were going to get some coffee before the briefing ?"

"Yeah, I did." He doesn't says anything else, glancing at the almost finished cup of coffee in Marrow's hands. _No resolve at all, Jaune_.

\----------------------------------------

 _One last chance then you're done, Jaune. Remember your training. The lack of caffeine in your body. Be strong_.

He gets there after Marrow and by now people have chosen their seats so he ends up next to him again. He doesn't want to look but can't help it as he noticed the hangover look on Marrow's face. That's right. He went on a mission with Blake and Yang that ended well after sundown. Marrow looks up at him with tired but hopeful eyes. _Damn you and your kind heart Jaune_.

He doesn't drink coffee that day. But maybe the situation isn't as hopeless as Clover made it out to be.

\----------------------------------------

He goes after Clover on the way out, the older man looks amused.

"Yeah yeah I know. I won't win this." Jaune grumbles as they walk side by side. "But I have an idea that you didn't mention."

"Oh, really ?" He looks surprised.

"If I want him to stop guilt tripping me into giving up _my_ coffee, I just need to get him his own."

Clover blinks at him before smiling. "That's a good idea. It's really nice of you too. Just make sure not to make it too strong. He likes it pretty much every way but too much caffeine and he gets jittery. Dosed like yours should be fine, if the last three days are anything to go by." Clover winks at him teasingly as they part ways and heads towards Qrow, his partner for the day. And the past three days. Looks like Jaune's not the only one falling into a routine. _Good for them_.

\----------------------------------------

Jaune walks in with two identical mugs of coffee, heading to his seat. Marrow turns towards him, puppy dog eyes at the ready. Jaune beats him to it, holding out his hand, offering him a cup.

"I couldn't help but notice you like coffee, so I made you some. I can do it again tomorrow if you like it."

Marrow at least has the decency to look sheepish as he takes the offered mug. He takes a sip.

"It's really good. Thank you." He smiles at him and Jaune's heart skips a beat.

_Maybe it wasn't so much the puppy dog eyes that made him give in, but the person they belong to._


	3. Day 3: "Stay"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Five times Marrow tells Jaune to stay and the one time Jaune does

The first time he hears it, it's during training. Nora and Elm are going head to head with Magnhild and Timber but Elm's hammer has the advantage of a longer handle. Nora is sent flying backwards as she hits the trigger on her own hammer, detonating a grenade right in Elm's face. The Ace Op is momentarily disoriented and Jaune notices her semblance isn't activated. He runs in to take advantage of the situation and he's almost there when he hears it.

"Stay !" Suddenly he's slowing down and coming to a stop, paralyzed. Elm uses the opportunity to knock him back and he goes skidding across the floor. _Ugh_.

He lays there for a while, eyes closed, before he feels someone looming over him. He opens his eyes to see Marrow extending his hand. He takes it and lets the other pull him up.

"Sorry about that. You okay ?" He actually sounds worried.

"Yeah, I'm just fine. Just surprised, is all. So, 'stay' ?" He smiles at the other.

"Yeah, that's my semblance. It's a freeze command." He looks wary, as though waiting for Jaune to make a snide comment.

"That's really cool. Much more useful in a fight than mine, too." He sighs, following the other out of the training area, Elm and Nora already long gone, if the loud voices from the hallway ahead of them are anything to go by. "So, does it have big drawbacks ? How long can you use it ? On how many foes ?" He knows he's going into fanboy mode. But seeing the smile on Marrow's face at the attention he's getting keeps him from getting embarrassed.

\----------------------------------------

The second time is unexpected. Unexpected because Jaune is walking down the stairs, stepping aside to let Ruby pass him with her semblance, not knowing she was dragging Nora with her. The next, he's falling because Ruby still needs to learn how to go through tight spaces when carrying someone and made Nora jab him in the side. He sees the floor getting closer as in slow motion, bracing for impact.

"Stay !" And then he actually _is_ in slow motion. He's stopped as he hears footsteps run towards him and suddenly he's falling again except this time there are arms wrapped around him, holding him up.

"Wow, huh. Thanks. Didn't know you were there."

"Don't worry about it. It was just great timing." Marrow smiles at him before realizing he's still holding Jaune in his arms. He lets go quickly and takes a step back. "How about we huh. Go see what the others are up to ?"

"Yeah ! Yeah, sure. Lead the way !" His cheeks are bright red, he just knows it.

He starts walking again, following Marrow, but he can't stop thinking about how nice it was to be wrapped up in the other.

\----------------------------------------

The third time, they're dating. Have been for a while. Marrow went on a mission with Clover (who for once wasn't with Qrow as the other man went on an Amity Coliseum supply run with Ruby). They had to go through a blizzard and Marrow came back sick. Clover, the walking lucky charm, was in perfect health. Marrow was grumbling about it as Jaune escorted him from the infirmary to his room in the Ace Ops aisle. Once in, Jaune put down the medicine bag on the kitchen counter, pushed Marrow on the bed and gave him fresh clothes to sleep in. He prepared the drugs the doctor instructed Marrow to take, along with a tall glass of water. He sits on the edge of the bed once Marrow takes the proffered meds and lies down. He brushes Marrow's hair softly as his boyfriend slowly falls asleep. Getting up to get back to JNPO's room, he's stopped by a weak hand on his wrist. He looks in Marrow's glazed eyes. When he speaks, his voice is slightly slurred by sleep.

"Stay. Please." He doesn't have to ask twice.

"Okay." Jaune takes his shoes off and lies down next to Marrow, wrapping his arms around him as Marrow's tail feebly wags a few times before going limp, landing on the mattress with a thump. "Get some rest now. You'll feel better tomorrow. I promise I'm not leaving."

"Thank you." Marrow shifts closer before settling down again. Jaune runs his hand through his hair again and keeps his eyes open until he's sure Marrow is asleep for good. He closes his eyes, giving a soft kiss to the top of his boyfriend's head before falling asleep himself.

\----------------------------------------

The fourth time, Jaune is laying in a hospital bed, unconscious and severely wounded. There had been an unusual amount of grimm and Jaune had tired himself out, without having the time to properly regenerate his aura. He'd gotten stuck into an alley, a small group of Sabyrs on one side and a Manticore on the other. He had analysed the situation and ran towards the Sabyrs, knowing the Manticore could more easily dodge his attacks. It had mostly worked, the Manticore rushing after him and slamming into three Sabyrs, killing two of them instantly. Jaune was able to quickly dispatch the other two, using the gravity dust in his shield to push the last Sabyr back into a group of AK's, hoping the robots would get rid of it, which they did. He however wasn't fast enough to dodge the Manticore, crashing into the ground. He held up his shield to stop the next attack with another gravity dust blast. The Manticore was thrown back, spitting a fireball that shattered his aura. He threw his sword out, delivering the killing blow as the Manticore slammed into him before disintagrating. Marrow was the one who found him unconscious and picked him up off the ground where he'd fallen before carrying him to safety. He'd stayed back as the doctors worked but hadn't left his side ever since he was wheeled into this room. Even Ren and Nora had left, knowing there was nothing for them to do now. Marrow sat on a chair he'd pulled up next to the bed. He'd held himself together when the others were here but let the tears fall freely once the door shut behind them. He held Jaune's limp hand tightly.

"Jaune come on. You have to wake up. Please." He bent down to put his head on the mattress, kissing Jaune's knuckes and lightly rubbing his cheek against his hand. "Stay. Please. Stay with me. I love you so much." He puts his head down and starts sobbing, unable to keep talking any longer. He stays like that for a long time, crying all the tears in his body. It feels like hours before he hears it.

"Don't cry, I'm going to be okay." Marrow lifts his head up too fast, his vision getting blurry for a moment. Once his eyes focus again, he finds himself staring into Jaune's deep blue eyes. He gasps.

"You're awake." He can't help the sob of relief escaping him.

"Yeah. I can feel my aura levels rising. I'll be as good as new in no time." He gives his signature grin, raising his hand to cup Marrow's cheek. "Sorry about that."

"I, I was just so worried. You weren't waking up." Marrow puts his hand above Jaune's.

"Hey. I love you. I'm not going anywhere. I'm not leaving you." He pulls Marrow in for a soft, loving kiss.

\----------------------------------------

The fifth time, the blinding light of the Vacuo morning sun seeps through the curtains to shine directly on Jaune's face, making it impossible for him to ignore the time. He groans, hand coming up to shield his face. _Ugh_. He blinks and looks down at the mop of dark hair laying on his chest. They'd made it to Vacuo in one piece after securing both relics and leaving the newly reunited kingdom of Atlas in the hands of Councilwoman Hill, newly-appointed General Schnee and Penny, The Protector of Mantle and Winter Maiden. During and after the mess that was Salem's attack and Ironwood's desperate plan they'd also gained two new members. After Clover's close brush with death, he and Qrow were joined at the hip. Clover had appointed himself on a mission to follow them and help the Headmaster of Vacuo Academy, as a diplomatic liaison of sort, to keep his position as leader of the Ace Ops while staying with Qrow. Marrow, currently sleeping soudly in his arms, had quit the Ace Ops when he bailed Qrow and Robyn out of jail and stood by their side against Ironwood. He also had no wish to stay in Atlas knowing he would have to face his old teammates every day. And so they had left the cold kingdom behind. During the flight there had been a conversation about the team Maria, Qrow, Clover and Marrow could form and the name they would be given. It had turned into a heated debate pretty fast. The jury is still out.

He sighs, shifting to put a pillow under Marrow's head to replace his chest. He tries to sit up and hears a groan as a hand blindly reaches towards him to stop him. He grabs it and gently kisses the inside of his boyfriend's wrist. "Good morning."

"What're you doing ?"

"Getting up. I promised Sage we'd train together this morning."

"Why'd it have to be so early ?" Marrow's words are a bit slurred as he lifts his head slightly to squint at him from under his bangs. Jaune glances at the clock. It was nowhere near as early as it was when they had to get up for mission assignements in Atlas. Out of all of them, Marrow was having the hardest time getting used to the Vacuo weather. The heat tires him out quickly, making him groggy and sluggish in the mornings. They had also needed to go with Sun to a Faunus-owned store to get a brush specially made for Faunus as Marrow's tail had started shedding heavily after arriving in Vacuo.

"It's okay. Just go back to sleep. You don't have to get up because I do." He starts moving again.

"Stay." Jaune looks back down to see his boyfriend's pleading expression. He brushes his hair away to uncover the puppy dog eyes staring up at him. He can't resist them and they both know it.

"Fine. Move over." He lies back down, Marrow burying his nose in his neck as Jaune wraps his arms around him again, tail wagging a few times before stopping. Jaune's hand, the one that isn't trapped under Marrow's weight, trails down to softly stroke his limp tail. Hopefully Sage would understand why he couldn't make it. He closes his eyes and they cuddle in comfortable silence. The sun shining in his face is still annoying though.

\----------------------------------------

The first time Marrow hears it, they're in Patch. Their entire group was there, taking advantage of a temporary ceasefire. Ceasefire in the way that they needed some time to rest after having pushed back Salem's forces for a time. Yang had suggested Patch, a relatively peaceful island, as a way to take a breather, and in her and Ruby's case, as a way to reunite with their father. It had been well over two weeks since Maria had landed their ship in the Rose-Xiao Long childhood home's backyard when Jaune had told him they were going for a walk through the forest. Marrow had immediately jumped up, beaming at the idea of seeing more of the island's beautiful scenery. They walked hand in hand, Jaune looking fondly at Marrow as he marveled at the stunning landscape. Prior to coming to Vacuo with them, Marrow had never left Solitas and its endless tundra, and Jaune loved the way Marrow's eyes would light up every time he discovered new sceneries. A lone gazebo was admittedly an unexpected sight, even for Jaune. They arrived on the other side and Jaune lead him to a basket in the middle of the clearing.

"I thought we could have a picnic, just the two of us. It's been so long since we had enough time alone to go on a date. I've missed this." Jaune squeezed his hand, smiling softly before letting go and spreading a blanket on the ground.

"It _has_ been a long time." Marrow giggled as Jaune bowed to him, arms extended towards the blanket. "Is that your way of pulling back the chair ?"

"It is ! You know me too well." He grinned at him before taking a seat next to him. It was still a bit early to eat, so they leaned back, gazing at the amazing view. They stayed like that for a while, Marrow shifting closer as Jaune wrapped his arm around him, before parting as Jaune opened the basket.

"How did this get here before us, by the way ?"

Jaune looked up and rubbed the back of his neck, a blush spreading on his cheeks. "Ruby was nice enough to put this here. I wanted to surprise you."

"That's nice of her. It's a lovely surprise and it's really sweet of you." Marrow leaned over the basket to lightly kiss him. The two softly kissed, lost in each other. They snapped out of it as something cold suddenly splashed both of them on the nose. They looked up. Rain. _Great_. It started pouring before they even had the time to realize what was happening. They scrambled, getting up and gathering the basket, blanket hastily shoved in. Marrow heard Jaune grumble something about 'things going so well and rain ruining everything'. They dashed towards the gazebo, Marrow giggling as they reached cover. He turned towards Jaune, smile falling as he saw the distressed look on his boyfriend's face. Jaune turned and ran back towards their previous spot.

"Jaune ? Jaune, wait !!" Marrow put down the basket, waiting for his boyfriend to stop or slow down. He started running after him as he realized Jaune wasn't going to answer.

Jaune ran, slipping in the already muddy grass. _Things were perfect ! Of course something would ruin his plan_. He fell, picking up what he had lost as he heard Marrow catching up to him. _Things can't possibly get worse. Might as well do it now_. He turned and started rising up before stopping, one knee still in the mud.

"Jaune ! Are you okay ?" Marrow reaches him, hands held out to help him up.

"Wait !"

Marrow pulled his hands back, surprised by Jaune's sudden cry. He expects his boyfriend to stand up but watches as Jaune raises his own hands, a small object between his palms.

"Stay with me forever ?" Jaune asked hopefully as he opened the box in his hands to reveal the ring inside.

 _Oh. Oh gods. Is that why Jaune wanted to come out here, why he was upset ? To... to propose ?_ Marrow felt his heart swell. _Gods he's such a dork and he's so sweet and I have to answer now because he's starting to panic._

"Yes !" Marrow loudly squeaks out, falling to his knees in front of him as Jaune slipped the ring on his finger in one try despite their equally trembling hands. Marrow brings him into a kiss as Jaune clings to him, relieved.

"I love you." Marrow breathes out as they pull apart. "I will happily spend forever with you."

"I love you. I'm so glad you said yes." Jaune peppers his face with soft kisses. "I wish things went better, I wanted things to be perfect."

"You dork. It _is_ perfect. As long as you're with me, things are always perfect." He nuzzles into Jaune's neck, looking over his shoulder at the ring on his finger. "But... we really should head back before catching a cold."

Jaune giggled before quickly getting up and pulling him up. They run, snagging the basket on the way, hand in hand. Jaune looked at him, beaming. _Yeah, he's perfect_.


End file.
